TELSTRA has threatened to stop building infrastructure in the Riverina if minor phone carriers are allowed to “piggyback” off its phone towers.
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The telecommunications heavyweight has lambasted an inquiry into mandated roaming – currently before the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) – which would force it to share network coverage with Optus and Vodafone.
If the ACCC sides with mandated roaming, small carriers would be free to use the $1.3 billion worth of Telstra’s regional network infrastructure.
Telstra area manager Chris Taylor said the regulatory change would be a “significant blow” to Wagga and the wider region, rob customers of 5G access and leave black spots unfixed.
“We would be forced to reconsider any future investment,” he said.
“Our business model is based on the fact that our premiums are higher and we reinvest that straight into our network and infrastructure, so if that whole advantage is eliminated then our business model becomes flawed.
“Regional areas like the Riverina would miss out.”
Telstra currently has plans to build and further upgrade phone towers in Ladysmith, Old Wagga South Road and Mundarlo.
“The best way to improve coverage is to drive investment with competition,” Mr Taylor said.
Under current arrangements, a carrier can only use another carrier’s tower if it applies to co-locate and is given permission to do so.
Should the ACCC decide in favour of mandated roaming, it would be a free-for-all.
Regular outages in Ardlethan have hit home for firefighter and farmer Andrew Hawthorne.
The Rural Fire Service senior officer must scale a grain silo in order to receive phone signal and check his voicemail messages.
He fears the coverage woes will have “fatal consequences” the next time a motorist has a bad accident on a local road.
“Our mobile tower at Ardlethan keeps breaking down every time we have a power failure or heavy rain or wind,” Mr Hawthorne said.
“It’s costing me business; I missed a heap of calls because my phone just didn't ring.
“I work on my own a lot of the time out in the paddock with heavy tractors and trucks.
“If something happens to me and the service is down, then there's going to be serious implications.”